Diamel D.

Mogni
DM – 2

EDFD 301 Philosophy, Trends and Issues in Philippine Education Final Exam Jan 2022

Each line will receive either no point or 1 point. One (1) point = true, well thought out, contributes to coherence;
no point = false or not factual, merely copied or not well thought out, does not contribute to coherence.

I. Integrate Christ’s and Islam’s teachings on happiness with the teachings on meaning and
happiness by Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Kierkegaard, and GK Chesterton.
Present the integrated doctrine as an argument. Write only in one-line sentences.

Thesis (integrated doctrine):

Happiness is a mental state that manifests in human behavior .

Supporting points for your thesis:

Support 1: Happiness is a choice.
Support 2: Aiming one’s own desire can make a person feels happy.
Support 3: Happiness cannot be measured by the physical state and material possessions.

Your or others’ valid objection to (or clear counter-example for) each supporting point:
Objection 1: Happiness is the result of choosing pleasure over pain.
Objection 2: People who focus on others wellbeing and desires is what makes a person happy.
Objection 3: Happiness can be measured by having peace of mind, tranquillity, and a sense of
wellbeing and having a good relationship with God.

A sound answer to each of the objections (or counter-examples):

Answer 1: Although pleasure is an important component, it does not guarantee a full
happiness of a person. According to the teaching of Islam, self-pleasure that displeases the
Almighty is just a temporary happiness and usually leads to sadness afterwards.
Answer 2: Although such behavior increases happiness, it has a low effect when compared to
treating yourself to happiness.
Answer 3: There are people who don’t follow the concept of God’s existence such as the
Atheists.

Your personal example that illustrates each answer:

Example 1: As an example, entering in a haram (illegal) relationship will makes a person
happy for a time being, however, it will not last long and he/she will regret it afterwards.
Example 2: When we treat ourselves, show ourselves self-love when we need it, or enjoy our
relaxation when we have it, we are more likely to achieve higher levels of happiness than
when we engage in pro-social behaviour and show others kindness through our actions.
Example 3: For the Atheists, happiness and meaning of life can be found through family
relationships, affinity with their community, and highlighting pleasurable moments in their
lives.

Your own insight on each answer:

Diamel D. Mogni
DM – 2

Insight 1: We can be happy on whatever actions we choose as long as it is moral and pleases
the Almighty God.
Insight 2: This supports with Aristotle’s claim that happiness, "depends on ourselves more
than on anybody else." Happiness is also enshrined by Aristotle as a central purpose of
human life and a goal in and of itself.
Insight 3: The only difference between theists and atheists is their belief in God's existence or
non-existence. However, when it comes to the concept of happiness, they all agree on one
thing: a person makes themselves happy by believing in what they believe in.

Conclusion (powerful paraphrase of your thesis that also sums up your insights):
In general, happiness is understood as the positive emotions we experience when we engage
in pleasurable activities in our daily lives.

Pleasure, comfort, gratitude, hope, and inspiration are all examples of positive emotions that
boost our happiness and propel us forward.

In Islam, the true happiness is the closeness with the Almighty and doing actions that
pleasures Him.

II. Evaluate your own teaching philosophy and practices (as an instructor or administrator) in
view of the human’s longing for meaning and happiness. How effective are you in teaching
meaning and happiness to your students (whether directly or indirectly)? Write only in one-
line sentences.

Thesis (your self-evaluation):

An effective teacher is one who can instil hope, ignite imagination, inculcate a love of learning
in their students, and able to adjust in a given circumstances.

Supporting points for your thesis:

Support 1: Students enjoy learning, especially when their teacher is effective.
Support 2: To be an effective teacher, I should have high expectations for my class.
Support 3: As a teacher, I need to have proper classroom management skills in order to be
effective.

Your or others’ valid objection to (or clear counter-example for) each supporting point:
Objection 1: Effectives of the teacher in classroom depends on the resources he/she have.
Objection 2: The slow learner students in the class who are who are unable to cope up with
the lessons accordingly.
Objection 3: Not all teachers are performing classroom management especially during the
start of the class. There are teachers who are inconsistent, do not have an effective action
plan, and unable to communicate the expectations clearly.
Diamel D. Mogni
DM – 2

Your answer to each objection (or counter-example):

Answer 1: There are major challenges in teaching effectively such as lack of funding and lack
of resources that i must consider to adjust and to be able to deliver effective teaching.
Answer 2: This is the challenge from the teacher, handling slow learner students. If I am the
teacher, I would give extra time and activities that will help those type of students.
Answer 3: Teachers must communicate their classroom management expectations to
students and parents at the start of the school year. Unclear classroom policies from the start
can cause annoyance for everyone throughout the year.

Your illustrative example for each answer:

Example 1: Most schools in rural areas face this kind of problem. In Lanao del Sur for example,
there are public schools which experience power interruption frequently which affect the
quality of classroom delivery.
Example 2: Good teachers are aware of their students' characteristics. There could be
contributing factors to why students are performing poorly in class, and the teacher should
look into this to address it effectively.
Example 3: Classroom policies and guidelines should be discussed and communicated
properly with the students and parents during the start of the school year.
Your insight on each answer:
Insight 1: Being an effective teacher is a big challenge especially when you are assigned in the
remote areas where lack or resources and facilities present.
Insight 2: Slow learning is not a learning disability. Therefore, it is a challenge for every
teacher to help slow learners meet challenges and overcome learning issues.
Insight 3: Classroom management is critical in the effectiveness of classroom delivery. It has a
direct impact on both your students' ability to learn and your ability to teach. It has an impact
on a teacher's ability to be effective while also happiness in teaching. Above all, a well-
managed classroom has a significant impact on students' academic success.

Conclusion (powerful paraphrase of your thesis that also sums up your insights):
Effective teaching is critical to student success—not just occasionally, but every day in every
classroom and school. Students' academic, physical, social emotional, and behavioural well-
being are all influenced by effective teaching. Effective teaching occurs most effectively when
teachers, parents, school administrators, and other stakeholders share accountability for
continuous improvement and student achievement.

III. Propose a way for you and your colleagues to effectively teach meaning and happiness to
your students. Write only in one-line sentences.

Thesis (summary of your proposal):

Integrating social-emotional learning into teaching skills as a way to effectively teach
meaning and happiness
Diamel D. Mogni
DM – 2

Supporting points for your thesis:

Your proposal’s strong point: Positive emotion education teaches students that positive
emotional experiences have long-term effects on their personal growth and development.
Your proposal’s vague or doubtful point: Interactions in the classroom can be of either good or
bad quality.
Your proposal’s weak point: The quality of classroom interactions has a significant impact on
the quality of learning.

Explanation (paraphrase of each):

Strong point: Positive emotions broaden students’ attention and thinking, improve resilience,
and create long-lasting personal resources that fuel more positive emotions in the future.
Doubtful point: It may be difficult for students to understand the importance of adaptive
functions of both positive and negative emotions, ways to cope with our tendency to focus on
the negative aspects of life, and how to enhance positive emotions through savoring and
reminiscence.
Weak point: Students ability and capacity to understand the broad contexts of the subject.

Your personal example that illustrates each point:

Example 1: Students will be able to broaden their knowledge and improve resilience which
leads to happiness.
Example 2: There might be students who have difficulties in understanding the subject
because of the lack of experience.
Example 3: Not all students will be able to relate to the topic. For example, one of the
predictors of happiness is relationship. When we talk about the importance of relationship,
students might find it difficult because of lack of experience.

Insights you have gained from presenting your proposal:

Insight 1: Able to learn that teaching positive emotions broaden students’ attention, improve
resilience, and it build long-lasting personal resources.
Insight 2: Addressing the challenges present in teaching the subject to students.
Insight 3: Provide the opportunity to conduct further study about positive emotions and its
role in the development of human behaviour.

Conclusion (powerful paraphrase of the thesis that also sums up your insights):
Every day, students experience and express a wide range of emotions. As an educator, one
way i can help them develop the skills they need to focus in the classroom and deal with life's
ups and downs is to focus on positive emotions.

Integrating social-emotional learning into teaching skills as a way to effectively teach

meaning and happiness allows me to address their academic emotions, or emotions related
to learning, instruction, and achievement in academic settings, such as those associated with
attending class, studying, and taking tests and exams.
Diamel D. Mogni
DM – 2

IV. Identify a trend (whether a positive or a negative one) in Philippine education that you
would like to deal with as a professional educator. Write only in one-line sentences.

Thesis (present the trend):

One of the key issues and problems that need further analysis and immediate resolution is
the issue of deteriorating quality of education.

Discussion points about or elaboration on this trend:

Point 1: Great numbers of graduates who finish higher education with sub-quality education.
Point 2: The government budget for education are being corrupted.
Point 3: The problems of poor school facilities and learning environment which have led to
low educational standards.

Conclusion (powerful paraphrase of the thesis):

The deteriorating quality of education is one of the key issues and problems in Philippine
education that require further debate, in-depth analysis, and immediate resolution.

A variety of factors have contributed to low educational standards. According to studies and
fact-finding commissions, the deteriorating quality of education is due to the following
factors: a low government budget for education; poor teacher quality; poor school
management; poor school facilities such as laboratory and library facilities; a poor learning
environment; the content of the curriculum; insufficient books and science equipment; a poor
method of instruction; classroom shortages; and others.